[archives dive] Of toothpicks and telephone poles...

Of toothpicks and telephone poles...

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. Matthew 7:3-5 KJV

3 "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 "Or how can you say to your brother, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. Matthew 7:3-5 NAS

Or like I had a friend in college say, ''it's toothpicks and telephone poles.



It's amazing how we as Christians, who only merit salvation purely through mercy and grace, so often don't extend those two things to others.
 We take for granted the journey of our sanctification...and hold others to the standards and place that we are, without allowing the Holy Spirit to do that work.
I know that there are those that would read my blog and see that I dared to put the KJV with the NAS and they would have no respect for this post or it's intent. And you know what? There is just nothing I can do about that. And to clarify my above statement. Salvation is not a process. Salvation is instantaneous. But sanctification IS a process. And it is the place from where my blog is rooted.

Why do we nullify the journey God has brought us on, and the place He has brought us to, by projecting 'our' place on others?
How sweet of God to love us, to cherish us...to fill us with His Spirit, to give us His Word, which contains all truth. And then for us to pompously and pridefully, sit in a place of holiness and decide that others ''aren't quiet on par'' because of _________ or __________. (you just fill in the blank with whatever pet thing you want)

I have a friend that illustrated it so beautifully. Being a Christian is like being in school. You have all grade levels represented from K-12 and you even have college, and post grad and doctoral dissertation writers too. :) But we are all students in God's school. But what happens? Well you are going along, growing and learning, thankful for the cross and the gift of salvation. Praising God for your relationship, seeking to know Him and to have Him known. Then you hit about 6th grade, and suddenly you look over and there, there is a 4th grader who has the audacity to have ''Air Supply'' cd's in her house. (oh the horror, no really, AIR SUPPLY??? ewwww lol) and then you really begin to look around and low and behold if one of your very classmates isn't partaking of some "Must See TV". Oh how ungodly are they? How can they name the name of Christ and listen to that, and fill their temple with that???

 Well see, you won't hear me defend the music or the TV shows. I won't. But you know what, this isn't about the music or the TV. It's about the heart of the student! The student looking around and not IN their own heart.The student naming names and calling sins. See, God purifies us, God sanctifies us. That is what God is in the business of doing. I earnestly believe that as we grow in the Lord and mature that things that we once had no issue with, will be something that we lay aside (Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Heb. 12:1) That is part of ''growing up in the Lord'

 But it's when *we* try to become the teacher and we try to grow others up to our ''height'' that the problem comes. Because it is at that time, that we have become filled with pride, with ''who we are'' and not whose we are, with ''what we know'' and not who we know. We lose focus on the grace and mercy that so sovereignly brought us to the place we are and that continues to grow us into who He wants us to become. If we could all (myself ,especially) stop looking around at our classmates and just keep our eyes on the Master Teacher, we'd spend a lot less time at recess calling our schoolmates names.

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. Mark 12:30


More About Jesus

More about Jesus would I know,
More of His grace to others show;
More of His saving fullness see,
More of His love Who died for me.
More, more about Jesus,
More, more about Jesus;
More of His saving fullness see,More of His love Who died for me.

More about Jesus let me learn,
More of His holy will discern;
Spirit of God, my teacher be,Showing the things of Christ to me.

More about Jesus; in His Word,
Holding communion with my Lord;
Hearing His voice in every line,Making each faithful saying mine.

More about Jesus; on His throne,
Riches in glory all His own;
More of His kingdom’s sure increase;
More of His coming, Prince of Peace.